In recent years, study on reflection-type display apparatuses using no backlight has been actively made. Of these display apparatuses, a particle movement-type display apparatus attracts a lot of attention. The particle movement-type display apparatus includes, e.g., a pair of substrates with a predetermined spacing therebetween, a plurality of particles disposed in the spacing, and a pair of electrodes disposed internally in contact with the spacing. The particle movement-type display apparatus has various advantages, such as a high display contrast, a wide viewing angle, a display memory characteristic, unnecessity of a backlight and a polarization plate, etc., compared with a liquid crystal apparatus.
Generally, the particle movement-type display apparatus effects display by applying an electric field or the like to each pixel, between the pair of substrates, at which a certain amount of particles are disposed, thereby to move the particles within each pixel. For this purpose, ordinarily, a plurality of particles are disposed between two substrates on which a pixel electrode formed at each pixel and a common electrode for all the pixels are formed. The particles have a particle size of approximately 0.5-5 μm. In order to prevent movement of the particles between adjacent pixels to cause nonuniform distribution, a partition wall is formed at each pixel.
In the case of such a particle movement-type display apparatus having a partition wall structure, particles are generally filled between partition wall portions after all the members such as the electrodes and the partition wall are formed on one of the substrates, and then the particles are sealed in each pixel by the other substrate (sealing step), as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Tokkai Hei 05-307197 and Japanese Patent No. 2612472.
However, in the sealing step, the particles enter between the other substrate and the partition wall or a peripheral area of a display portion in some cases.
In such cases, a gap corresponding to a diameter of the particles is formed between the other substrate and the partition wall or the peripheral area, so that sealing of the display portion cannot be performed completely. As a result, there is a possibility that the particles are moved to other pixels or outside the display portion.